Signal for water-closets



1). R. BAKER. Signal for Water-Closets.

No. 224,125." r I Patented Feb. 93,1880.

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have invented certain new and useful Improve, ments in Signals forWater-Closets for Rail- UN ED STATES PATENT OFFI E...

V nnnos R. BAKE or o nciunArr, onto.

SIGNAL? FOR WATER-,GLO'LSETJS.

SPECIFICATION forming Part:

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DELOSR. BAKER, of.

Cincinnati, Hamilton county, State of Ohio,

road-Oars and other Places, of which the following is a specification.

method being well understood and appreciated,

especially by ladies, in railway-cars and other public places.

To this endmy invention consists in thearrangement of a shifting signalin suitable connection with a movable floor in the closet, so

adapted as that thereby the weight of the occupant of the closet willoperate'to 'display'the signal, the details of construction beingfully"described hereinafter. 7

On reference to the drawings, Arepresents, for the purposes ofillustration, the water-closet of a railway-car, having the usualcommodeseat a secured to the floor Bthereof. This floor is hinged at b,and its free end rests upon spring-bufi'ers O, and is provided with anarm,

b, to engage with a horizontal lever, D, pivoted at d to a lug upon thecar-sill.

The extreme end of the lever D is secured to a vertical rod, E, whichmoves in guide 0, and carries. at its upper extremity a signal board ordisk, F. The rodE and signal-board F are located inside the water-closetclose to the partition or wall G, and they are concealed from view byboxing H, as seen in Fig. 1.

The guide 6 is secured. to the partition G, and the signal F therebyheld in close proximity to the said partition, where it may shift backand forth behind the opening 9 therein. The side of the signal-boardwhich faces, the opening g is divided into two contrasting parts, one ofwhich harmonizes with the color of the partition G, and-when before theopening 9 serves to hide or obscure it, while the Fig. 2 is a.

pf Letters Patent no. 224,125, dated February 3,1839. Application filedAugust 22 1879 v other contrasts with the color of said partition,

and when before the openingforms aconspicuousobject for the eye to restupon.

When a person takes possession of the closet his weight acts upon thefloor to compress it, and motion is thereby communicated through 12,lever D, and rodE to signal-board F, which falls so as to display thecontrasting color through opening 9 and constitute a signal. When theoccupantleaves the closet the floor, ,being'relieved of the weight,rises by virtue of the spring-buffers- G, and communicates motionthrougharm b, lever D, and rod E to the signal-board, which then risesso as to display the harmonizing color through the opening in thepartition and mask or obscure the signal.

Thus it will be seen that the occupancy of the closet will be indicatedby the display of the contrasting color of the signal board throughopening g, and its vacancy will be indicated by the presence of theharmonizing color of the signal-board behind said opening.

In the matter of structural detail, the boxing around the rod Eextendssomewhat below the floor B, so that the-downward movement of thelatter will not expose the said rod to injury by accident or otherwise.

As shown, the buffers O consist of coiled springs secured in sockets con the sill of the car; but other forms of springs may be founddesirable, and the spiral springs, if used, may

be strained and secured to the sockets by centrally-secured bolts.

The floor is represented as hinged; but "it is obvious that it maybesupported wholly by springs, if so desired. r In order to reduce thenecessary movement of the floor to a minimum, and at the same timesecure suffici'ent movement of the signal, the arm I) is connected tolever D near its pivotal point, and the rod E secured to it near itsouter extremity or point of greatest moveinent.

In conclusion, it is evident that the mechanism for transmitting motionfrom the floor to the signal may be varied greatly. The signal may beitself greatly altered in style and method of operation, and theinvention, as a whole, may be applied to other compartments 3. Incombination, a hinged room-floor, 15

spring-supporting buffers, a signal, and connecting-levers, all arrangedsubstantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand this 19th day ofAugust, A. D. 20

DELOS R. BAKER.

Witnesses EDGAR J. Gnoss, G. F. HESSER.

